Hand-bag lock.



I No. 884,787.

' J. J.. W'OOLFENDEN.

1 HAND BAG LOOK. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1907.

'I,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/II/Ifl Aitomeys By M PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.-

JOHN J. WOOLFENDEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

HAND-BAG LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14., 1908.

Application filed March '7, 1907. Serial No 361,034.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. WooLFENDEN, of Detroit, Michigan, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hand-Bag Locks, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to fasteners for handbags and other like articles, and has for its object the production of simple and easily operated means of automatically locking the bag while the handle is used as supporting means for the bag, as when carrying it, thereby preventing the bag from being opened surreptitiously while it is being carried, and it consists in forming a locking connection actuated by the handle in such manner that when the handle is vertical the two parts of the bag are securely locked together and can be only unlocked when the handle is dropped. to one side.

It also consists in roviding means for retaining the lock in a ocked position, regardless of the movement of the handle, substantially as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1, shows one form of the locking device. Fig. 2, another form, both figures being drawn in section through one of the hinges of the handle and its attachment to the frame of the bag. Fig. 3, shows another form partly in section. Fig. 4, is a sectional drawing on the lines of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, which is a cross-section at right angles to that of Fig. 2, shows another form of the invention in which there is a locking slide operated by the finger whereby the locking bolt can be optionally held in locked positionregardless of the movement of the handle. Fig. 6, is a detailed drawing of the locking slide.

In the drawings similar letters refer to similar parts.

A, represents the handle of a common hand-bag. ,B, B represent the two sides of the frames which are understood to be bent in the form of a long U and hinged at their ends in the usual manner in the construction of hand-bags and, of course being covered with leather or other covering as may be em ployed, which bag and covering are unnecessary to show.

In all the figures the frames are shown in a closed position; in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, one frame B, passing underneath that of B. C, is a metal stud fixed upon the frame B. This stud may be hollow with a perforation in one'side theough which may be inserted the handle A, carrying a cam D. This may be of any form which will permit of the vertical reciprocation of the locking bolt E. I have shown two forms of cams in Figs. 1 and 2; that in Fig. 5 corresponds with the one in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3 I have shown the handle merely entering the stud C, and a cam D, fastened upon that portion of the handle just adjacent to the stud which carries a cam groove or pair of grooves d, d, outlined in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and as shown in elevation in Fig. 4. In Fig. 3 the bolt E has at its upper end. a forked. jaw e, which jaw carries pins 0, a, which engage in the groove or grooves (Z, (Z, the partial revolution of the handle causing the cam to revolve causes a reciprocal motion of the bolt E to the eX- tent desired and substantially as hereinafter described.

In Fig. 1, the bolt E, has a head F, appropriately formed and the shank of the stud C, contains a recess C, in which the head F, fits closely enough to prevent any lateral oscillation. A spiral spring S, tends to normally press the bolt E, with its head F, tightly against the cam D, and compels it to follow its convolutions. In Fig. 1, the cutaway portion c, c, of the cam D, when the handle is dropped to substantially a horizontal position permits the head F, to raise the spring withdrawing the bolt E, from that portion of the frame B, and thus permitting the two frames to slide apartfrom each other, thus permitting the opening of the bag. In Fig. 2, this operation of the movement of the head F, carrying the bolt E is reversed and the depression of the handle A to substantially a horizontal position forces the head F, down against the spring S, and attains the same result of unlocking by detaching the bolt from the frame B'-, opposite to the one carrying the bolt by detaching of the hook II, which it carries from the lug I). hen in the locked position the hook H, engages in the hole I), in the lug 1), upon the underside of the frame B Figs. 5 and 6, show means of permanently locking the bag which consist in a notch 6 in the lower part of the bolt E also a small recess C is formed underneath the stud O, in which slides a flat plate G (Fig. 6), one end of this is turned 11 at G, to form a thumb piece whereby the p ate can be slid in and out of the groove C this plate G, contains a slot which is larger for a small portion of its length at J, and narrower at J. This slot portion J, when the plate G, is in the position shown in Fig. 5, permits the passage of the bolt E through the frame B, and thereby causing the bag when the handle is in a vertical position to be locked. IVhile in this osition the notch 6 registers with the slot 8 and the plate G, can be slid longitudinally until the smaller slot portion J, engages the notch e in the bolt E thus locking the bolt in position. It is obvious that so long as the late is in the osition last described the bolt F1 can be loclfed in locked position. Also that the reverse motion of the late G, would unlock the bolt E, which could be withdrawn by the action of the handle and S, from the locked position.

The mode of operation of these devices are clearly apparent from the foregoing descrip tion.

It is obvious that by using two locking bolts of the form shown in Fig. 4, the locking plate G, if used in conjunction with the lockmg devices at each end of the handle forms two locking devices for the bag, which would, in many cases, supersede the use of other locking devices, and thereby instead of having three locking devices on a bag, which is usual, there would only be the necessity of the two described.

What I desire to claim is:

1. In a locking device for hand-bags, the combination of a handle adapted to be swung from a substantially horizontal to a vertical of the spring position, studs upon one of the closing frames of the bag forming hinges for said handle, vertically movable bolts actuated by the movement of the handle to a vertical position to engage both frames, and means adapted to yieldingly hold'the bolts against the actuating pressure of the handle and to force the same from engagement with one of said frames when the handle is moved to horizontal position, substantially as de scribed.

2. In a bag, frames adapted to be brought into proximity upon the closing of the bag, locking means adapted to engage the same, a handle whereby said locking means is operated, and a plate adapted to engage the lock ing means and prevent its withdrawal from the locked position during the downward movement of the handle, substantially as described.

3. In a traveling bag, the combination of frames hinged together and adapted to close the bag, studs carried on one of said frames, a handle supported by said studs, bolts engaging downwardly from each of said studs and through the supporting frame, and adapted, by engagement through a complementarily apertured portion of the other frame, to lock the frames together, means adapted to yieldingly hold the bolts from e11- gagement with the second frame, and means actuated by the, movement of the handle from a horizontal to a vertical position whereby the bolts are forced from their normal osition through-the apertured portions of the second frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. I/VOOLFENDEN.

Witnesses R. A. PARKER, NETTIE V. BELLES. 

